Dining Out: Steve's Diner

Thursday

Jan 31, 2008 at 2:00 AM

There's something about a good old N.J. style Greek diner with meatloaf platters, eggs any which way and sky-high lemon meringue pies. Steve's is a bit like one of those shiny diners — heck, he even took the old Pizza Hut in Exeter and put some gleaming silver on it, old-school diner style. For the most part, the fare here is diner style with pancakes, waffles, eggs, burgers and sandwiches but — to my delight — there's also Greek food in the form of pita wraps, gyros and spinach pie, dishes we rarely see around here despite the Seacoast's large Greek population.

Rachel Forrest

There's something about a good old N.J. style Greek diner with meatloaf platters, eggs any which way and sky-high lemon meringue pies. Steve's is a bit like one of those shiny diners — heck, he even took the old Pizza Hut in Exeter and put some gleaming silver on it, old-school diner style. For the most part, the fare here is diner style with pancakes, waffles, eggs, burgers and sandwiches but — to my delight — there's also Greek food in the form of pita wraps, gyros and spinach pie, dishes we rarely see around here despite the Seacoast's large Greek population.

I've been to Steve's for breakfast and lunch and have tried a number of dishes. Steve is Steve Fountis, who owns the diner with wife, Lisa, and he's always working there with a sunny disposition. The staff is friendly as well, although at busy lunch times they can look a bit shell shocked. When things free up they take time to say "Hi" to regulars and check in on how you like your oh-so-creamy cheesecake.

To my absolute surprise and joy, the eggs Benedict is served from scratch Hollandaise sauce — not from a mix or jar, but right from the egg yolk and butter, although I found it a bit on the lemony side. My poached eggs were cooked just right to runny inside. That was a special and not on the regular menu although it seems to be a constant staple there. Corned beef hash is also fresh and tasty as is some Greek variations on breakfast in loukaniko sausage in a fluffy omelet with feta and tomato ($6.95).

At lunch I tried the gyro ("yee-roh") platter with fries and salad ($6.95). The gyro is slices of thin tender roasted meat served with a cool tzatziki sauce made with chilled yogurt and cucumber. I found the meat a tad oily but flavorful and the sauce added a tanginess to the whole dish. The salad was crisp and fresh and the fries are hand cut and thinner than most hand cut fries we get around here. All they needed was some salt and they were very hard to stop eating. They also serve the lamb meat in a wrap with soft, thick pita and the sauce all around. I chose the loukaniko pita wrap with the sausage nice and chewy sort of like Kielbasa but with a spicy kick.

Also good is the big juicy burger with cheese including a choice of Feta, which adds a nice texture and tang to it ($5.45 without fries). Spinach pie has a flaky layered pastry with fresh spinach ($7:45), a nice alternative to the usual entrees here including a surprising liver and onions. There are also specials each day in the comfort food vein. A cup of white bean soup was plain but filling, with a mellow tomato broth, and a plate of meatloaf with mashed potatoes, while I didn't get to try it out, looked like enough for two meals when it went by to someone else.

And here's a phrase I use sparingly — save room for dessert. Like any Greek style diner worth its salt the desserts are made from scratch for the most part and are very good, especially the decadently creamy New York style cheesecake. Unlike the dryer Italian cheesecake made with ricotta, this one is sky high and rich as can be. Get it with cherries. The banana cream pie is also very good, chock full of slices of ripe banana in a chilled banana custard with a firm crust, both a good ending to down home diner cuisine with a touch of the Greek.

Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner who lives in Portsmouth. Her column appears Wednesdays in Go & Do. Her restaurant review column, Dining Out, appears Thursdays in Spotlight magazine. Hear her on Wine Me Dine Me"¢ with co-host Susan Tuveson at 6 p.m., Fridays on WSCA-FM 106.1. She can be reached by e-mail at rforrest@seacoastonline.com.

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